THE STORYTELLER OF MARRAKESH

The storyteller of the title, Hassan, “weaves a magic carpet of words” in this literary mystery set in the exotic locale of Marrakesh’s Jemaa el Fna—the central square filled with fortune-tellers, acrobats, and vendors. There Hassan recounts his tales each evening. As Hassan delves into a story of the disappearance of a foreign couple from the Jemaa, assisted and sometimes contradicted by the recollections of his rapt listeners, the book becomes a mosaic of stories winningly delivered by Gerard Kyle. Kyle’s facility with portraying nationality and gender makes his narration a delight. He juggles dozens of characters, as well as Roy-Bhattacharya’s elevated language, with a profound elegance. F.J.K. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2011]